Graham Hesketh

 In Memoriam

It think it was Lyon where I first met Graham. Then many times in Newport, Tornio, Lezno, Scordia, Catania, Langraaf, Aguilar, Azkoitia, Azpeitia…with all the other colleagues of Euro School Net 2000. We hit it off right away. Not so difficult to get on great with Graham though. Graham was a historian and a teacher by trade, and a great conversationalist and amusing fine gentleman by character. A perfect blend. He loved football, cricket, golf… We always enjoyed a pint and a good laugh together while talking about history, sports, teaching, European projects, nonsense… Never missed to send me long e-mails at Christmas or whenever I wrote to him for whatever reason.  He told me about his Pat, his parents, his sister… Persons I didn’t know but he told me as if I did, and I thank him for that. He always left a hint of his humour and his views on history or politics. All that is gone now, and I can’t help thinking I will no longer be able to share all those things with him again.

I remember some time ago I read “A Short History of Nearly Everything”. In a chapter about atoms you could read: “They are also fantastically durable. Because they are so long-lived, atoms really get around. Every atom you possess has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to becoming you. We are each so atomically numerous and so vigorously recycled at death that a significant number of our atoms – up to a billion for each of us, it has been suggested – probably once belonged to Shakespeare. A billion more each came from Buddha and Genghis Khan and Beethoven, and any other historical figure you care to name.” I am quite certain that Graham’s atoms came from nice persons and will pass on to make nice persons again.

Wherever you are, Graham, you are in the hearts of everyone who was so lucky to meet you in ESN2000 as a colleague and as a friend. You are part of the net and thank you for being so.

Rest in peace, dear friend.